CONGRESS WON'T TALK ABOUT HEMP

As the new year begins today, new laws will take effect around the
country. In North Dakota, a state law allowing farmers to grow
industrial hemp won't be taking effect any time soon - if ever.

The three members of the state's congressional delegation offer little
hope for anyone interested in growing industrial hemp. As long as the
Drug Enforcement Agency considers hemp to be defined the same as its
cousin, marijuana, there is virtually no chance Congress will take up
the battle.

Two North Dakota farmers have sued the U.S. government to change the
definition of industrial hemp. U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland
dismissed the lawsuit in November, saying the issue should be resolved
in Congress.

But our congressional delegation isn't confident that Congress will
even discuss the issue, much less act on it. Unfortunately, they're
right. We suspect a couple of years from now, this issue won't have
changed any - growing industrial hemp in the United States will still
be illegal, and hemp proponents will still be trying to make their
case to the federal government.

We believe the government should take up this issue - but we also
believe the government won't.